PUNJAB STATE CIVIL SERVICES COMBINED COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION
In exercise of the powers conferred under Rule
Civil Services (Appointment by Combined Competitive Examination) Rules, 2009 the following Syllabus and procedure is prescribed for conducting the Combined State Civil Services Competitive Examination:
A) Procedure and scheme for the Preliminary Examination The preliminary competitive examination will consist of two papers of 200 marks each and shall comprise of objective type (multiple choice) questions. The detail is as follows:
Subject Paper- I General Studies Paper-II Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT)
Note: 1) Both the papers will be of objective type multiple choice questions. 2) Duration of each paper for preliminary examination will be two hours. However, visually impaired candidates will be given additional 20 minutes. 3) There will be no negative marking. 4) The question paper shall be bilingual and shall be printed in English (Roma questions where candidates proficiency in language is to be tested. 5) Details of syllabi are indicated in Appendix 6) The standard of questions would be to test the knowledge as is expected of a person who graduation level. 7) The Preliminary Examination is only a screening test for selecting candidates who would be eligible to take the Main Examination and the marks obtained in this Examination shall towards the merit of the candidates arrived at after the Main Examination.
PUNJAB PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION 1
NOTIFICATION PUNJAB STATE CIVIL SERVICES COMBINED COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION In exercise of the powers conferred under Rule Civil Services (Appointment by Combined Competitive Examination) Rules, 2009 the following Syllabus and procedure is prescribed for conducting the Combined State Civil Services Competitive Examination: Procedure and scheme for the Preliminary Examination The preliminary competitive examination will consist of two papers of 200 marks each and shall comprise of objective type (multiple choice) questions. The detail is as follows:- Subject No. of Questions General Studies 100 Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) 80 Both the papers will be of objective type multiple choice questions. Duration of each paper for preliminary examination will be two hours. However, visually impaired candidates will be given additional 20 minutes. There will be no negative marking. The question paper shall be bilingual and shall be printed in English (Roman script) and Punjabi (Gurmukhi script) except for questions where candidates proficiency in language is to be Details of syllabi are indicated in Appendix The standard of questions would be to test the knowledge as is expected of a person who has attained education at least up to graduation level. The Preliminary Examination is only a screening test for selecting candidates who would be eligible to take the Main Examination and the marks obtained in this Examination shall towards the merit of the candidates arrived at after the Main Examination. PUNJAB PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION BARADARI GARDEN, PATIALA WEBSITE: www.ppsc.gov.in
PUNJAB STATE CIVIL SERVICES COMBINED COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION In exercise of the powers conferred under Rule-8 of Punjab State Civil Services (Appointment by Combined Competitive Examination) Rules, 2009 the following Syllabus and procedure is prescribed for conducting the Combined State Civil Services Competitive Examination: Procedure and scheme for the Preliminary Examination: The preliminary competitive examination will consist of two papers of 200 marks each and shall comprise of objective type (multiple choice) No. of Questions Marks for each question
Total Marks 2 200 2.5 200 Both the papers will be of objective type multiple choice Duration of each paper for preliminary examination will be two hours. However, visually impaired candidates will be given The question paper shall be bilingual and shall be printed in n script) and Punjabi (Gurmukhi script) except for questions where candidates proficiency in language is to be Details of syllabi are indicated in Appendix-I. The standard of questions would be to test the knowledge as is has attained education at least up to The Preliminary Examination is only a screening test for selecting candidates who would be eligible to take the Main Examination and the marks obtained in this Examination shall not be counted towards the merit of the candidates arrived at after the Main PUNJAB PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION BARADARI GARDEN, PATIALA-147001 www.ppsc.gov.in PUNJAB PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION 2
8) Candidates equal to 12 to 13 times of the vacancies advertised in each category would qualify from amongst those appearing in the Preliminary Examination for the Main Examination, provided that, such number of candidates are available and, are otherwise eligible for admission to the Main Examination. B) Procedure and scheme for the Main Examination: Sr. No. Subject/Paper Maximum Marks
1. Punjabi (in Gurmukhi Script) Compulsory (of 10+2 standard) 100 2. English Compulsory (of 10+2 standard) 100 3. Essay 150 4. General Studies Paper-I (History, Geography and Society)
250 5. General Studies Paper- II (Indian Constitution & Polity, Governance and International Relations) 250 6. General Studies Paper-III (Economy, Statistics and Security Issues) 250 7. General Studies Paper-IV (Science & Technology, Environment, Problem Solving & Decision Making) 250 8. Interview 150
Grand Total: 1500
Note:- 1. All papers shall be descriptive in nature and duration of each paper will be three hours. Visually impaired candidates will, however, be allowed an extra time of thirty minutes in each paper. 2. The main competitive examination shall include seven compulsory papers. 3. Candidates will have the option to attempt all the papers, except the language papers in Punjabi or English medium. 4. Candidates exercising the option to answer Papers in Punjabi language may, if they so desire, give English version within brackets of only the description of the technical terms, if any, in addition to the version in Punjabi language. 3
5. The question papers other than language papers will be set in English. However, when any candidate opts for attempting any paper(s) in Punjabi medium, the question papers shall be printed in Punjabi accordingly. 6. Details of syllabi are indicated in Appendix-II. 7. Interview shall be conducted for only those candidates who qualify on the basis of their performance in the main competitive examination and who fulfill the criteria of eligibility. 8. No candidate shall be eligible to appear in the interview unless he/she obtains 45% marks in the aggregate of all the subjects (read 40 % for the candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) including at least 33% marks in each subject: provided that if in any main competitive examination, a sufficient number of candidates do not obtain 45% marks in the aggregate (read 40 % for the candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes), the Commission may at their discretion lower this percentage to not below 40% (read 35 % for the candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes), however, the minimum percentage for each subject shall remain unchanged. 9. No candidate shall be considered to have qualified the competitive examination unless he obtains at least 45% marks in the aggregate in all subjects of main examination including interview marks (read 40 % for the candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) except in the case of any main competitive examination for which this percentage has been lowered to not less than 40% (read 35 % for the candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) by the Commission in which case the qualifying percentage shall be as determined by the Commission 10. From amongst the candidates who have appeared for the Main written examination, candidates not more than three times the number of vacancies advertised in each category shall be called for the interview, provided that, such number of candidates are available and, are otherwise eligible for the Interview. 11. Names of qualified candidates shall be arranged in order of merit according to the aggregate marks obtained in the main written examination and the interview. Note: In the event that the aggregate marks obtained in the Written and Interview parts of the Main Examination taken together of two or more candidates are equal, the candidate securing higher marks in the written part of the Main Examination shall be ranked higher. Should the marks in the written part of the Main Examination of such candidates are still equal, the candidate securing higher marks in the aggregate of the General Studies papers in the written part of the Main Examination shall rank higher. Should those also be equal, the candidate older in age shall rank higher. 4
APPENDIX-I SYLLABUS OF PUNJAB STATE CIVIL SERVICES COMBINED COMPETITIVE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION Paper I (General Studies) 1. Everyday Science: States of matter, structure of atom, versatile nature of carbon. Acids, bases, salts, corrosion in metals, action of soaps. Life on Earth evolution, marine & terrestrial life. Human body and life processes, nutrition, disease - its causes & prevention, infectious diseases, lifestyle diseases. Public health initiatives, mother and child health, immunisation & vaccination, HIV-AIDS, TB, polio etc. Force-laws of motion & gravitation, Archimedes principle. Energy kinetic & potential. Light reflection & refraction concepts and applications. Sound propagation & reflection- concepts and applications. Electric current concepts and applications. Computers and telecommunication concepts and applications. 2. Environmental studies: Composition and structure of the atmosphere. Solar system heat balance & temperature. Atmospheric circulation & weather system, water cycle. Climate change fossil fuels, greenhouse gases, renewable energy, clean development mechanism, carbon credits. Water oceans, rivers, glaciers, lakes, groundwater etc. Biodiversity & conservation. Soil types, crops, food chain etc. Pollution and toxicity etc.
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3. Political theory & international order: Basic concept of freedom, equality, social justice, rights & duties, citizenship, nationalism, secularism etc. United Nations and its organs/agencies, other international organisations like the World Bank, IMF, WTO, EU, G20, BRICS etc. and their role in the World peace, trade & development. 4. Indian polity: Basic features, provisions, schedules of the Indian Constitution, key amendments. Panchayati Raj. Elections Peoples Representation Act, electoral reforms. Rise of regionalism and coalition politics. Armed challenges to the Indian state since independence. 5. History of India: The Indus valley civilisation. The Aryan and the Vedic age. Jainism and Buddhism. The Maurya Gupta periods. Advent of Islam and Sultanate period (political, social & cultural). The Bhakti Movement. The Mughals (political, social & cultural till Aurangzeb). The coming of the European Powers and the advent of the British rule. The Mutiny of 1857. The British rule and the Indian National Movement (1857-1947) World History: The Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution in Europe. The American Revolution 1776. The French Revolution 1789. The Russian Revolution 1917. World Wars I & II.
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6. Indian Economy: Indian economic development (1950-1991) key economic policies, public sector dominance, bank nationalisation etc. Five year plans key goals and main achievements. Liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation era since 1991 key policies, decisions and results. Performance of Indian economy since 1991 Growth, fiscal & revenue deficits, trade, commerce & balance of payments, inflation, growth of service sector. Key challenges and responses agriculture and food security, industrialisation, poverty alleviation & employment, rural & urban infrastructure, social sector health, education etc. 7. Geography: Population distribution, density, growth and comparison. Migration types, causes and consequences. Human development. Human settlements. Land resources and agriculture. Water resources. Mineral and energy resources. Manufacturing industries. Planning and sustainable development in India. Transport and communication. International trade. Geographical perspective on selected issues and problems.
8. Current events of national and international importance. 9. Punjab a) Geography: Geographical and agro-climatic regions, rivers, water resources, sharing of waters, demographics, human development indices
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b) People, Society and Culture: Major personalities in history of Punjab, religious movements, major religions & spiritual personalities, Punjabi literature, folklore, performing arts, fine arts and crafts c) History: Sufis, saints and gurus, Lodhis and Mughals, Sikh rulers, the British period, nationalist movement in Punjab, Punjab in independent India.
d) Economy: Agriculture, animal husbandry, industrial & service sectors, major occupations, development & economic growth, public finance (including central-state fiscal issues), public sector institutions, cooperatives etc. Paper II (Civil Services Aptitude Test) 1. Reading comprehension; Punjabi and English language comprehension, antonyms and synonyms, grammar and sentence formation. 2. Interpersonal skills including communication skills 3. Logical reasoning, analytical and mental ability 4. Basic numerical skills; numbers, magnitudes, percentages, numerical relation appreciation 5. Data analysis; Graphic presentations, charts, tables, spreadsheets.
Note: The topics listed in the syllabus are only indicative for the general guidance of the candidates and cannot be deemed as exhaustive list.
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APPENDIX-II SYLLABUS OF PUNJAB STATE CIVIL SERVICES COMBINED COMPETITIVE MAIN EXAMINATION ENGLISH SECTION-A 1. Comprehension (Unseen Passage) 10 Marks An unseen passage followed by Questions to be answered 2. Precis writing 10 Marks Passage to be summarized to 1/3rd 3. Letter writing(200 10marks words) 4. Essay writing (Any general topic 10 Marks 300 words) 5. Translation 10 Marks
SECTION-B 6. Grammar 50 Marks
ESSAY (150 Marks)
Candidates will be required to write three short essays in English or Punjabi on specified topics. The choice of subjects will be given. They will be expected to keep closely to the subject of the essay to arrange their ideas in an orderly fashion, and to write concisely. Credit will be given for effective and exact expression.
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GENERAL STUDIES I HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY AND SOCIETY
Section- 1: HISTORY 1.1 History of the world : Events from 18th century; industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like Communism, Capitalism, Socialism etc. -their forms and effect on society. 1.2 Indian culture- Salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times. 1.3 Modern Indian history from the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities and issues. 1.4 Socio-religious reform movements with special reference to Punjab. 1.5 The Freedom Struggle - its various stages and important contributors /contributions from different parts of the country with special reference to Punjab. 1.6 Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country. 1.7 History of Punjab: 1.7. 1 Ranjit Singhs rise to power, civil and military administration and relations with the British 1.7. 2 Annexation of Punjab with special reference to the causes and consequences of the Anglo-Sikh wars. Section-2: GEOGRAPHY 2.1 Physical Geography: Salient features of worlds physical geography. Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian subcontinent); factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India) 2.2 Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location- changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes. 11
2.3 Geography of Punjab: 2.3. 1 Physiographic details of Punjab; Geomorphic features of Punjab, Punjabs strategic location with reference to International Border; 2.3. 2 Crops of Punjab; Modern concepts of Farming; Problems faced by agriculturists/ Issues in Agriculture: Depletion of ground water, etc; Section-3: SOCIETY 3.1 Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India. 3.2 Role of women and womens organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies 3.3 Effects of globalization on Indian society 3.4 Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism 3.5 Ethics and Society: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics in private and public relationships. 3. 6 Human Values Role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values; lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders and reformers- Gautam Buddha, Mahavira, Kabir, Guru Nanak; Swami Vivekananda, Jyotibha Phule, Ishwar Chandra Vidya Sagar and Mahatma Gandhi. 3.7 Vulnerable sections of the population - Welfare schemes by the Centre and State of Punjab and their performance; Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for their protection and betterment. 3.8 Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector- Health, Education, Human Resources; Issues relating to Poverty and Malnutrition.
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GENERAL STUDIES II INDIAN CONSTITUTION& POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Section-1: INDIAN CONSTITUTION& POLITY 1.1 Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure. 1.2 Functions and responsibilities of Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein. 1.3 Separation of powers between various organs; Dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions. 1.4 Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries 1.5 Parliament and State Legislatures - structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these. 1.6 Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary; Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity. 1.7 Salient features of the Representation of Peoples Act. 1.8 Appointment to various Constitutional posts; Powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies 1.9 District Administration - Evolution of District Administration; Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies. Section-2 GOVERNANCE: 2.1 Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies 2.2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation; Development processes and the development organizations- the role of NGOs, SHGs, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders 2.3 Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures; Role of civil services in a democracy; Changing trends in Governance 13
2.4 Values and Ethics in Governance- Ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding. 2.5 Probity in Governance: Concept of Governance; Philosophical basis of governance and probity; corporate governance; Information sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizens Charters, Work culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption. Section-3: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 3.1 India and its neighborhood- relations; 3.2 Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting Indias interests; 3.3 Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on Indias interests, Indian Diaspora 3.4 Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure and mandate.
Note: The candidates are expected to be aware about the current developments related to the topics mentioned above.
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GENERAL STUDIES III ECONOMY, STATISTICS AND SECURITY ISSUES Section-1: Indian Economy 1.1 Issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment; sustainable development; Inclusive growth and issues arising from it; Government Budgeting; 1.2 Major crops, cropping patterns in various parts of the country, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems; storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce- issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers; Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Technology missions; economics of animal rearing. 1.3 Public Distribution System- objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security; 1.4 Food processing and related industries in India- scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management 1.5 Land reforms in India; Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth. 1.6 Infrastructure- Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc; Investment models 1.7 Human Resource Development: 1.7.1 Importance of Human capital in economic development 1.7.2 Nature, types and problems of unemployment in India, Trends of Employment in India, Skill development and demographic dividend 1.8 Punjab Economy: Planning- various aspects of developmental planning; Industry; Infrastructure.
Section-2: Statistical analysis, graphs and diagrams This part will test the candidates ability to draw conclusions from information presented in statistical, graphical or diagrammatical form and to interpret the same.
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Section-3: Issues related to Security 3.1 Linkages between development and spread of extremism; 3.2 Role of external, State and non-State actors in creating challenges to internal security; Challenges to internal security through communication networks; role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, 3.3 Basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention; 3.4 Security challenges and their management in border areas; linkages of organized crime with terrorism. 3.5 Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate Note: The candidates are expected to be aware about the current developments related to the topics mentioned above.
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GENERAL STUDIES IV SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, ENVIRONMENT, PROBLEM SOLVING & DECISION MAKING Section-1 : Science and Technology 1.1 Science and Technology 1.1.1 Developments and applications of science and technology and their effects in everyday life 1.1.2 Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology. 1.1.3 Recent developments in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, etc. 1.1.4 Issues relating to intellectual property rights. 1.2 Modern Trends in Life Sciences 1.2.1 Progress of Agricultural Science and its impact Introduction to Biotechnology and its applications; Veterinary and Animal Sciences- latest developments. 1.2.2 Introduction to and applications of Genetic Engineering & Stem Cell Research 1.2.3 Human Diseases and Microbial infections; Common infections and preventive measures; preventive measures during out breaks; Immunity and vaccination
Section-2: Environment 2.1 Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, Issues related to Climate change; environmental impact assessment 2.2 Water management- Issues in India; Present scenario, Methods and importance of water conservation 2.3 Definition, nature, types and classification of disasters 2.4 Natural Hazards: Floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, etc., Risk reduction and mitigation measures Section-3: Situations in Civil Service -Problem Solving and Decision Making 3.1 Tackling situations of Natural disasters/ Major Accidents/ Law and order, Controlling riots, Handling public protests and dharnas, Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation, Designing Projects, 17
Implementation of National Flagship Schemes/ Programmmes, Public Private Partnership in effective service delivery, Managing and financing Municipal services e.g. Solid waste management, Conservation of natural resources- water, forests, etc, Pollution control, Reviving a loss making PSU, Planning and target achievement, Gender sensitization and women empowerment, Empowerment of vulnerable sections of the society, Improving Education and Enhancing Skill development, Urban settlement- Slums and Housing issues, Managing Issues related to Urban/ Rural drinking water supply and sanitation, etc.
Note: A duly structured situation will be presented to the candidates and they will be asked to analyze and suggest their own solution to the problem arising out of situation.